[Today] is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries. It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.While most hospitals in America would put some signs up, maybe send a hospital-wide email, heck if you're lucky they will host a lunch time lecture on the past, present, and future of Tuberculosis to celebrate. But in Hanoi, oh in Hanoi! It is very different.
This might be because TB is much more prevalent here. It might be because we have hospitals dedicated to just pulmonary (mostly TB) care. But mostly I think it is because of the cultural difference of celebration. It's awesome, take a look:
These babies went around Hanoi announcing World TB Day
This guy too!
Many of the men wore "Stop TB" shirts!
Almost every free wall space held propaganda like TB posters
GIANT SIGNS
And the ladies wore ao dai's for the morning celebration ceremony
;)
And if you didn't have an ao dai, then red worked too
The staff performed skits and songs (omg they were so pretty and talented)
The Vice Director of the National TB Program wearing the NTP hats they were handing out.
We had a few news stations at the hospital...
MMMM, and we had a hospital wide celebratory lunch with KEGS!
1, 2, 3, do!
Just our office on our 4th "mot tram phan tram"
cut out photo ops
Dr. N again and his son who just started at Hanoi Medical University
We had a fancy buffet dinner. LOOOL, 4th one in the last two weeks!
And then dinner was followed by a 4 hour performance show about TB at a convention center...
Hmmm, hip hopping nurse staff
Oh yea, all the performers were hospital staff from lung hospitals around Northern Vietnam!
World TB Day in Hanoi = AMAZING
Not only is it World TB Day it is also Banh Troi Day!!! Today is the day when this cake snack thing was discovered and is celebrated by being sold on every corner of Hanoi. I was pretty lucky that my host mom made me a fresh batch to munch on when I woke up. Ok, I need to stop bragging...can't help it when life is on the up!
um, ok. i will stop with the cheesiness. Thanks if you have gotten this far through the pictures - I am very impressed if you did! To break things up a little, please enjoy this 10 second video on a Vietnam drinking chant.
